Letting My Light Shine

Sometimes, even though I am sitting in my home, surrounded by my loved ones, I get this deep melancholy feeling of wanting, needing to go home; a profound sense of homesickness.  This feeling has come to me time and time again ever since I can remember.  Sometimes it lasts for days or weeks, other times only for a day or even a few hours.

This used to really perplex me.  How can one be so homesick while sitting at home?  As I have grown spiritually, I believe I now know what this is.  What this homesickness that I am currently feeling is…what is at its roots.  I choose to believe that it is my divine inner being, my true self, longing for the connectivity to the great oneness that I had before I choose to experience it through this human experience, through this body. 

As a spiritual seeker, I know that I am divine, complete and whole in my divinity.  I know that YOU are, too.  We all are.   When we chose to have this human experience we each chose to experience it in its own way.  We all are the light.  We connect to others, in a real and meaningful way, when we allow others to see our light in its full glory and it is reciprocated by the other person also allowing us to see their light in all its magnificence. 

As humans, though, we tend to dim our lights.  Let me use this analogy:  Our true selves are here in physical form, choosing to use this body to go through life, much like getting in a car to drive.  The car is our body and divine selves the drivers.

As we take on roles and we step into others expectations of what we should be, sometimes we put up a layer of tint on our windshields, dimming our light to others to fit into their expectations.  I have put up tint when conforming to the expectations that I perceive others to have of me when I step into the role of employee, another when stepping into the role of wife, another for being a mother, a sister, a daughter, a friend, a coach… layers and layers of tint that I have put up, shielding others from my true light. 

But it doesn’t stop there.  Those were the ways that I put up barriers to you seeing my light from the inside.  From the outside, others have thrown things that I have let stick to my windshield like bugs that met their untimely demise by splattering all over my windshield.  Those words that others have spoken that I have allowed to stay in my vision – “You’d be so pretty if you lost a little weight.” or “I’m sorry, we don’t feel like you are a good fit for this position.” or any of the things that people might say (or my perception of what was meant by some off-handed comment) that I allowed to stay with me and block both your view of my light and my vision of yours.

So, my feeling of melancholy, of being homesick, is because I have not only blocked your view of my inner light, it makes it harder for me to see yours and to have that divine connection that we are truly one.  My guess is that your windshield may have layers of tint and bug guts, too.  This makes it just that much harder to connect, as we are both looking out of ever increasing dark tint and layers of bugs.

I am getting ready to go on a getaway.  We had a call asking us to set our intentions for the trip.  I have been in this state of homesickness for a few days and what instantly came up for me was that I wanted to make a connection, a deep and meaningful connection with someone. 

So this retreat, for me, will of course be pulling my car into the station and filling up my soul, but it will also be taking the time to remove layers and layers of tint from my windshield and using that little squeegee with the netted foam to clean off the bugs and walk away letting my little light shine.

I hope that you have the opportunity to do the same and we can all “Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!”  

She Can't Really Be That Happy All the Time

I get this from time to time.  Someone insists that I can't be "that happy" all the time.  It is rarely said to me directly, but I hear about it.

Well, for the doubters, you are correct.  I am not perfectly happy and joyful all the time.  Things happen that aren't in my perfect plan, things happen that may seem bad on the surface.  Here is the secret, though, to my joyous demeanor:  when those things happen, I don't dwell on them.  If I do think about them, I search for what is right with the situation.  This leads me to be happy and joyous most of the time.  I try to refrain from complaining because what I complain about, I am giving my attention to.  What I give my attention to, I bring into my life.  If I want to continue to be happy, I give my attention to happy thoughts.

Now, I understand that many think this is just a bunch of woo woo new agey hoo haw.  I get that.  I used to think that, too.  But there is science behind it.  You can change the story that you tell yourself and in doing so, you change the way your brain's synapses fire.  Changing the way your synapses fire change your brain.  Changing your brain changes your being.

Our bodies are amazing creations, and the brain is quite possibly the single most interesting thing that I have ever endeavored to study.

Don't take my word for it, check out the video of Dr. Joe Dispenza's talk at TedxTacoma.  It is amazing and gives you a scientific explanation of the reason that I can be happy and joyous most of the time. 

 

It IS a practice, though.  You learn the information, you put it into practice by acting on the information that you have learned, and eventually it is just part of your being.  It is who you are.  You have changed your brain!

 

 

 

 

Hooray for Sistas That Believe in You!!

I am so blessed beyond belief to have Sistas that believe in me! 

My wonderful "Healing Sistas," a group of like-minded women who come together to learn and grow and support one another, have gifted me with book signing event in a local, ultra-cool and hip bookstore, BlueBird Books, on April 27th at 3:00pm.  Come early and listen to some music! 

I am excited to see friends, old and new, and to sign some books, and even do a small reading!

Make some time to spend a little bit of time exploring the bookstore.  It is really a beautiful store and they have not only great books, but lots of local art and other goodies!

Can't wait to see you there!

Our First Giveaway!!

I am so excited to be bringing you this giveaway with FOUR cool prize packages! 

Rafflecopter has made it incredibly easy for you to enter, too!  You only have to answer a quick question in the comments here, and if you haven't already, you have to like my facebook page.  There are other easy ways to gain entry, too.  But be quick - there is a fast turn around on this giveaway.  It ends on the 31st of THIS month! 

Enjoy!!  While you are here, take a few minutes and check out some of the blog posts.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Goals and Outcomes

"Keep your eyes on the prize."  I bet you have heard that before.  It stands with the conventional wisdom of goalsetting.  Set your goal, don't let anything stand in your way, keep your eyes on the prize and in the end, you will accomplish great things.

I know that seems like a tried and true method of getting to be where you want to be, but I would like to suggest something different.  Instead of focusing on that goal, lets think about what it would feel like to be there already.  What does it feel like? Does it feel good?  Do you feel accomplished?  Proud?  Satisfied?  In all reality, that is actually your goal, to have those feelings.  The goal isn't the thing or accomplishment, it is the feeling that you get from it.

What if, then, what if you let go of the outcome and focused on feeling the way you want to feel, right now?  If you already feel proud and satisfied and accomplished, then whatever the outcomes of your endeavors is just the icing on the cake.  You are then able to let go of the outcomes, of the limitations that you have set for yourself and anything is possible because you are able to allow the most magnificent things to happen.  Perhaps it may be the original accomplishment that you had in mind or it may be something even beyond your wildest imagination. 

Something to ponder.

Always Learning, Always Growing

Learning and expanding your knowledge is essential to living.  I believe this is so true.  Because I believe this, I surround myself with all kinds of books, CDs, DVDs and other learning tools.  These are all important, but the most important learning tool is experience.  So, I also try to get in some great experiences. 

My theme for this year is ADVENTURE.  I began this year of adventure kind of slow, working my way into adventure.  It can be scary.  It is stepping past your comfort zone.  This weekend I stepped way past my comfort zone.  I attended a two day immersion seminar in Denver, Colorado. 

Day one of the seminar concluded with board breaking.  I was expecting some little 1/4 inch thick board and wasn't too worried about it.  Then they pulled out the boards.  These suckers were THICK!  But, by golly, I nailed it!  I hit that board and it busted in two!  Empowering and suprisingly emotional for me.  I did have to step out of my comfort zone to do this, not because of the physical aspect of it (although it isn't something that I had ever really thought of doing).  I stepped out of my comfort zone because the set up for the physical act took looking at a fear, owning it, getting angry with it and releasing it.  Those of you who know me, know that the path that resonates for me is that life is easy and joyful, and this was the exact opposite of that.  It is taking something unpleasant out of the box and really examining it.  Getting angry with it.  Nothing fun or joyful about that!  Right.  Right? Hmmm...

Day two of the seminar concluded with firewalking.  Okay, so we didn't actually walk through flames, but really hot coals.  Really HOT.  I was pumped for this.  This is why I signed up for this intensive immersion seminar.  If I can walk across coals, I can do anything.  A N Y T H I N G!  And guess what, I did walk across those coals.  Blisters? Not a single one!  Again, though, the stepping out of my comfort zone, although the physical act absolutely qualified, was the set up to prep for it.  Again it had to do with picking up that ugliness out of the box and examining it.  YUCK!  But the up side, other than the absolute high and wonderful feeling of empowerment, was the incredible focus not on that ugliness that had been tucked away in the box... that was tossed aside, into the fire, but the total focus on what fills that void.  What we are replacing that horrible ugly thing with.  Hooray.  A new intention.  A new focus.  A new me.  A TRANSFORMATION. 

So, does it sound hokey?  Yeah.  Even as I'm reading what I have typed.  Does it feel hokey?  No.  Not even a little.  I feel like a new person.  I learned so much.  I have new skills, new tools.  I have a new appreciation for me.  For what I am capable of. 

Life is experiences.  One of the speakers said, "If you aren't learning, you are dying."  I had heard it before, I had known its truth.  I am more clear on the truth in that statement now.  If you aren't learning, if you aren't experiencing, you are dying.  And it is your choice.  Take a chance.  Step out of your comfort zone.  Have an experience.  Do it.  Are you living or are you dying?

Little Things Matter

 I know it is just a crazy little random thing, but sometimes little things make a perfectly bright and wonderful day just a little more perfect and a little more bright and wonderful!

So, at least twice a week, sometimes more often, I stop by Spangles (a burger chain based in Kansas) before going to work and I almost always get the same thing, a plain bagel, a side of hashbrown nuggets (tater-tots -- yum!) and a large iced tea with extra ice.

This morning I did that very same thing, just kind of a routine thing.  The young lady that was working the drive-thru window greeted me with a huge smile and said, "Are you always so nice?"  I was kind of thrown for a loop, but I stammered, "Well, I hope so!", and she said, "Well, it just always makes me smile!  Thanks!"

She turned to get my order and a co-worker looked at her and said, "Did you just ask her if she's always nice?"  and she said, "She is, she always is, and it makes me happy."  (I don't think I was suppose to hear that part, but I did.)

ANYWAY, I was thinking, wow, I didn't do anything extraordinary or anything extra kind really, but I WAS courteous and cheerful, which I always try to be.  I always try to say please and thank you and be cheerful to everyone including those that are "serving" me (as through the drive-thru).  I know you all do that, too, but wow, her saying she appreciated it just MADE MY DAY!!  I am sure that not everyone that she interacts with in any given day use those common niceties.  So, ladies and gents, just being your BEAUTIFUL, KIND, WONDERFUL selves, YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE to someone!  SMILE!  The world needs your love!